The centre of Astana during its 10-year anniversary celebrations in 2008

Almaty and Astana are just out of this world

Kazakhstan is launching itself as the new Singapore – a stopover destination for people heading further east. Adrian Mourby gets a sneak preview of Central Asia's curious transit delight

Traveller's Guide: Alternative New York tours

From birdlife to biking, tombs to tunnels, sign up for an adventure that gets under the skin of the Big Apple, says Claire Prentice

Trail of the unexpected: Unique Devon campsite

Ben Ross and his family visit a woodland retreat that offers seclusion and home comforts...

The Big Six: Luxury Egyptian escapes

From a low-key Dahab resort that overlooks a palm-fringed pool and the Red Sea to a palatial hotel on the banks of the Nile...

Visit Wiltshire has launched 10 off-road cycle routes, many of them connected by the Wiltshire Cycleway (visitwiltshire.co.uk)

Summer in the UK: The beautiful South

In the last of the series, Simone Kane suggests how to stretch out the final days of the season.

Go off the beaten track in Ibiza

After a night on the dancefloor it is time to sample the other side of the island on an 18-mile cycle route of jaw-dropping beauty

WIN! A three-night break for two in Dublin

We've teamed up with Hotels.com – the world's leading hotel booking website – to offer a three-night break for two in Dublin, Ireland.

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World Expo hits halfway – and organizers hope for sunny days ahead

Expo 20210 Shanghai has hit the halfway mark of its sixth month run and organizers say they have learned from their mistakes - and are promising bigger and better days ahead.

Twin peaks: Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf

48 Hours In: Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's 'marvellous city' is as flamboyant, dramatic and seductive as ever – even in the South American winter.

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Taking the waters: Longevity Wellness in the Algarve mountains is Portugal's first in-resort medical spa

Stay the night: Longevity Wellness Resort, Portugal

There's not one, two but three spas at this bold new resort in Portugal's mountains, says Kate Simon

24-Hour Room Service: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire

Throughout August at various locations, English Heritage is putting on Time Travellers Go days to allow children to get creative, handle artefacts, play games and listen to stories

School holidays special: Days out around the UK

You don't have to go too far afield this summer to take a break. Make the most of a weekend, or shape a whole staycation around some fun events. Simone Kane picks her favourites from across the country

Sands of time: Mishal Husain's trip took her back to the deserts of Ras al-Khaimah

Mishal Husain travels back to the UAE

A trip down memory lane is a little tricky if, like me, yours was an expatriate childhood. Mine was spent in the United Arab Emirates – 10 happy years from 1975, when I was two years old – which makes it the first home I can remember. But the UAE isn't somewhere I pass through much these days and my friends from there are scattered across the globe. Even if I did venture back, the ever-changing urban landscape is more than likely to have rendered once-familiar locations unrecognisable.

Cross purpose: Marie's quest to find her great-grandmother's grave, pictured, in Rumia, Poland, provided the inspiration for a uniquely personal travel tale

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